Climate Discussions Heat Up in Paris
Why the Problems Aren't Just Escargoing Away
Decisions made by the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference leave
many environmentalists only partly satisfied.
many environmentalists only partly satisfied.
December 2015
Hana Kenworthy '19
As we ready our New Year’s resolutions and prepare for dazzling fireworks displays, an issue that looms over us draws ever closer: the ever-growing increase of Earth’s temperature. The very existence of climate change is often debated, but the sea level is rising, the Arctic is melting, and emissions escalate every year. While we can’t reverse the damage already done to the atmosphere, actions are being taken to prevent further damage.
Climate change is caused by an increase in greenhouse gases. These gases trap heat from the sun in the atmosphere, warming Earth and keeping the heat in. Greenhouse gases are like a blanket covering Earth. Carbon dioxide, methane, and a myriad of other gases, including man made gases, are causing the greenhouse effect. However, the concentration of these effects has been increasing since the industrial revolution in the 1800s due to the burning of fossil fuels. More greenhouse gases means more heat, which upsets the delicate balance of Earth’s climate. Climate change is already showing-rising sea levels, longer growing seasons, and more extreme weather are all symptoms of this environmental issue.
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Recently, 195 countries began negotiations in Paris to lower emissions and halt climate change. 183 of the 195 countries have proposed lowering their emissions. The conference ended December 11th, with a final draft approved and leaving many environmentalists only partially satisfied. George Monbiot, an article writer for a news site called the Guardian, says that “by comparison to what it could have been, it’s a miracle. By comparison to what it should have been, it’s a disaster.”
While there are many differing opinions on the outcome, the final deal attempts to unite the various countries of the world in preserving Earth. Reducing emissions will help keep the world safer, colder, and, of course, less polluted. However, plans discussed at the Paris summit state that countries will lower their emissions once they peak.
Therefore, developing countries may take years to begin lowering their emissions. The plan goes into the long term, stating that the global temperature rise should be “well below” 2 degrees Celsius (or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in 2100. But will the world be able to deal with the effects of climate change? In 2014, there were eight weather and climate disasters that cost the United States over a billion dollars. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, the number of wildfires in the US has gone from 3,285 a year in 2000 to 191,688 a year in 2014. Scientists even predict that a rising sea level will engulf major coast cities around the world. Even in the Philadelphia region we are feeling the effects. It is the warmest it has ever been this December.
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The future of Earth is uncertain. Activists cry out for more immediate action and more fossil fuels are burned every day. Yet as various figures of change have said, united we stand, divided we fall. For better or worse, the world is united in combating climate change and defending Earth from our own mistakes.